Seal coating machine for highways



1939- c. s. WAHLSTROM ET AL 7 SEAL COATING MACHINE FOR HIGHWAYS Filed Nov. 7, 1938 6 78400505 A? W/1/T5 40 7 7 & CHARLES S. ha/asrpom fi 6 INVENTORS fi 4 ATTORN EY Patented Dec. 5, 1939 UNITED STATES SEAL COATING MACHINE FOR HIGHWAYS Charles S. Wahlstrom and Thaddeus A. White, Boulder County, 0010.

Application November 7, 1938, Serial No. 239,298

10 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in road machinery and has reference more particularly to a seal coating machine for highways.

Many of our highways have oiled surfaces and in the application of the oil care must be taken to distribute it uniformly. The oil is usually applied by trucks having perforated pipes extending laterally through which the oil is distributed over the road surface. The oil emerges from the openings in a number of streams and is deposited on the road surface in parallel rows or lines and in order that the oil shall be uniformly distributed over the surface, it is necessary to drag the road by an apparatus that tends to spread the oil in the rows until the entire surface is covered and sealed.

It is the object of this invention to produce a machine that can be attached to the oil distributing truck and which shall be provided with means for effecting a uniform distribution of the oil.

Another object is to produce a machine of the type indicated which shall have its ends provided with guards that will prevent it from catching in bridge or culvert walls, or other obstructions along the road and thus prevent injury to the machine.

Another object is to produce a machine provided with wheels that can be moved from inoperative to operative position and used for trans- 30 porting the machine when not in use.

A further object is to produce a machine having its ends hinged to a center portion of the machine frame so that they can be folded upwardly and inwardly so as to reduce the width of the machine during transportation and when it isused on narrow roads and which also serves to adjust the machine to the convexity of the road surface.

A still further object of the invention is to produce a machine having a tongue pivoted to the same and provided with a limited tilting movement to permit the frame to follow irregularities in the road surface and still permit the machine to be supported on the adjustable wheels during transportation and another object is to provide a machine of this type with a tongue made in two parts that can be adjusted about a pivot so that the machine can be adjusted to hitches of different heights.

The above and any other objects that may bemachine has been illustrated in its preferred form, and in which:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of the machine; Figure 2 is an end View looking in the direction of arrow 2, in Fig. 1; 5

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33, Fig. 1 and shows the parts in operative engagement;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of one end of a slightly modified form of machine; 1 10 Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on line 55 of Fig. 4 and shows the machine as it appears when it is supported on the wheels for transportation;

Figure 6 is a view looking through the vertical plane 66, Fig. 4 and shows the parts in folded position; and

Figure '7 is a section taken on line Fig. 6.

In the drawing reference numeral l0 designates the front bar of a frame whose rear bar has been-.20 designated by reference numeral ll. Bar H] has been shown as concave on its front side and is connected with bar II by means of a plurality of angle iron bars 12, which have their ends electrowelded to them. The transverse bars l2 are .25 arranged in pairs and spaced apart as shown.' Secured to the under side of the transverse bars B2 are bearing blocks l3 that are held in place by means of bolts l4 that pass upwardly through the openings between the bars of each pair, and 3 which also pass through caps l5 that extend" over the upper edges of the vertical flanges of these bars. A shaft I6 is journalled in these bearings and the ends of this shaft are turned rearwardly so as to form crank arms I! that lie in a plane which contains the axis of shaft IS. The" ends of the arm 11 are bent outwardly at right angles and form journals I8 on which wheels [9 are rotatably mounted. A quadrant comprising two spaced members 20 is secured to the, front and rear bars and is provided with notches" 2!, which cooperate with a detent 22 carried on a lever 23 that is welded or otherwise nonrotatably connected with shaft I6. The detent 22 is moved to inoperative position by the handle. 24 shown in Fig. 2. By rotating the lever 23 coun terclockwise from the position shown in Fig. 2, shaft it: will be rotated in a corresponding direction and this will move the wheels I9 downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 5 and in this way the frame of the machine can be tilted so as to raise the rear squeegee 40 from the road surface while maintaining the front squeegee in contact therewith. If the tilting is continued until 29 engages bolt 3|, the machine willbe raised from the surface of the ground into position for transportation in a manner which will be more fully described as this description proceeds. The ends of bars l0 and H are connected by guard bars that are longer than the width of the frame at this point, and whose ends 26 are bent inwardly and inclined upwardly in the manner shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Brace members 21 extend from the ends of guards 26 to the frame as shown in Fig. 1. It will be observed from Fig. 1 that the two parts 20 comprising the quadrant are spaced apart a considerable distance di-- rectly above their point of attachment to bar ID, as indicated by reference numeral 28. A tongue 29 has its rear end formed by two diverging members 30 that are pivotally connected with the shaft 16 in the manner shown clearly in Fig. 1. A bolt 3! extends between and connects the two quadrant members 20 directly above the enlarged space and serves as a stop for the tongue. It will be observed that the tongue can move anv gularly relative to the frame to a small extent due at different heights.

to its' lost motion connection that has just been described. The tongue itself is made in two parts 23 and 29a and the former terminates in'a tapered or wedge-like portion 32, which fits into a corresp'ondingly shaped notch in the rear end of member 23a. The front end of the tapered portion 32 is widened and provided with an arcuate slot 33. The two parts can be adjusted relative to each other about the pivot 34 and clamped in adjusted position by the bolt 35 that passes through the slot 33. The front end of member 29a is provided with an opening 36 by means of which attachment can be made to a truck. The adjustment just described makes it possible to adjust the tongue to permit attachment to be made Braces 3'! have their rear ends adjustably connected to the frame by means of short sections of chain 38 and have their front ends attached to tongue members 29a in the manner shown in Fig. 1. Although these braces have been shown as attached to the caps 15, it is evident that they may be attached to the frame at any other suitable point, but for the purpose of avoiding undue strains when the tongues move angularly relative to the frame, the brace-s should be attached as near to the shaft l6 as convenient.

In Fig. 3 the bars NJ and H have been shown as formed from metal parts bent transversely into substantially U-shape with a circular en-. larged recess 39 at their point of junction. Squeegee members M, which are formed from canvas belting or rubberized canvas belting, or some similar material, are inserted into the openings in members Ill and H and are preferably bent don ble around a flexible rod 4| and are inserted into the bars from the ends of the latter. Bars I0 and II, instead of being formed as shown in Fig. 3, may be formed from angle irons Illa and I la in the manner shown in Fig. 5. The squeegee members, instead of being doubled about a rod 4|, are transversely fiat and are clamped between the vertical flanges of angles Mia and I la, and the clamping bars 42, bolts 43 passing through the assembly to hold the parts in the desired position. The specific shape of bars l0 and II is not of any great consequence, providing they are so constructed that squeegee members can be attached to and removed from them. In the operation of the machine shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 and above described, the tongue is attached to the -'-rear of'the oil truck and adjusted so that the Weight of the frame rests on the squeegee members in the manner shown in Figs. 2 and 3. The

the machine.

truck, which carries a supply of oil to be applied to the road surface, is provided with distributing pipes having spaced openings along the lower sides through which the oil is flowed onto the surface of the road. The streams of oil emerging from the pipes while the truck moves are deposited on the road surface in parallel rows and while this oil is still in a flowing condition, it will be engaged by the squeegee members of the machine described and distributed uniformly over the surface of the road, thus forming a seal. When the front member In is forwardly concave, as shown in Fig. 1, it has a tendency to move the oil towards the center and this prevents it from being piled at the ends of the machine as it might otherwise be. It was found that when this machine was operated over the highways, the ends of the frame would sometimes catch in culverts and bridges or in posts or other obstructions positioned along the side of the road, and when this occurred, injury resulted to the machine. In order -to-obviate the danger of breakage, end members 25 were extended forwardly and bent inwardly and upwardly in the manner shown and described so that they would serve to move the whole machine transversely of the road in case the inclined ends 26 struck an obstruction.

The width of the machine shown in Fig. 1 is substantially one-half the width of the highway to be treated and 'in operation the truck and" sealing machine treat the highway in two operations going once in each direction. Highways are nearly always provided with convex surfaces and it is therefore necessary that the squeegeev members conform to these surfaces in order to give the same action along the entire width of Owing to the fact that the squeegee members extend downwardly a considerable distance below the bars, they yield sufficiently to make them conform to the surface of a road having anordinary convexity; but in order to make them conform without subjecting the center portions of the squeegee members to greater wear than theends, bars l!) and I! may be upwardly convex, although this has not been shown in the" drawing.

When the surface of the roadway is unusually convex it is necessary to tilt the frame forwardly,

relative to the road surface. and this is effected by moving the handle 23 counterclockwise, thereby raising the rear of the frame while permitting the front squeegee to contact the road surface. Due to the concave front surface of bar I!) the squeegee carried by it willbetter fit a convex sur face when the frame is tilted as described. When the machine is transported to the place where it is to be operated, or returned after operation, wheels l9 are moved downwardly into the position shown in Fig. 5, which raises the frame from the roadway. Due to the limited movement between the tongue and the frame, the latter can tilt relative to the tongue to a limited extent but after member 23 engages bolt 3|, the front end of the frame will be raised and the. entire frame will be held out of engagement with the road because the weight of the frame will be supported in part by the tongue, as it engages the upper end of space 28. In'order to fit trucks of different heights, the adjustment between the;- two parts of the tongue can be changed to fit different heights of attachment, as above explained. During transportation and while operating on a narrow roads, the machine *does not have to be as wide as shown in-Fig, land in order to facilitate transportation, the frame can be made in three sections, a center section which has been designated by A in Fig. 4 and two end sections B. These end sections are secured to the outer ends of the center section by hinges comprising hinge members 44 and 45. A rod 46 extends entirely across the frame and through the hinges in the manner shown in Fig. 4 and has its front end attached to the inwardly inclined guard 26. The ends B can be turned about the hinges so as to assume the position shown in Fig. 6. The end sections are so adjusted that they can move downwardly below the straight line indicating the lower edge of the squeegee member 40 in Fig. 6, so that in passing over a convex road surface, the frame will be upwardly concave. The ends of the angles forming the front and rear bars of the frame are provided with laterally extending lugs 41 that form stops and limit the downward movement of the ends in cases where the machine extends over the roadway. In the embodiment illustrated, the frame members have been electrowelded, but they may be attached to each other by means of rivets, or bolts, if desired.

In the above specification and on the drawing, the invention has been described and shown in an embodiment which is at present believed to be its preferred form, but, it is, of course, possible that minor changes may have to be made to conform to conditions that may develop in the operation of the device.

Particular attention is called to the brace members 26, to the pivotally connected tongue and lost motion connection of the tongue with the frame and to the adjustable feature of the tongue which makes it possible to adjust the angular relation between the tongue and the frame. It is also possible by manipulation of lever 23 to tilt the frame forwardly to conform more closely to a very convex road surface as has already been described. The three-part construction shown in Figs. 4 and 6 is considered to be of considerable importance in this form of device, as it makes it flexible and also handier to transport in going to and from the place where work is to be done.

Having described the invention what is claimed as new is:

l. A seal coating machine for highways, comprising, in combination, a substantially rectangular frame having two spaced, parallel bars connected by cross bars, squeegee members attached to the under side of the first bars for engagement With a supporting surface, the frame being formed from three sections hingedly connected, the end sections being upwardly and inwardly tiltable, the outer ends of the end sections being formed from bars that are longer than the length of the frame which project forwardly thereof and whose front ends are inwardly and upwardly inclined to serve as guards, and a tongue attached to the center of the middle sections by a lost motion tiltable connection, the tongue extending forwardly between the guards and independent of the latter.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which means comprising two wheels is provided for supporting the frame for transportation, and means for adjusting the wheels relative to the frame and for holding them in adjusted position.

3. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the front and the rear bars of the frame are hollow and have a slit along their lower surface, a squeegee member extending into the beam through the slit and means for attaching the squeegee members to the bars.

4. A device in accordance with claim 1 in which the front and the rear beams are provided with downwardlyextending flanges, and a squeegee member attached to each flange.

55A seal. coating machine for highways, com- I arms thus formed being in a plane that contains the axis of the shaft, the rear ends of the arms being bent outwardly into coaxial positions to form journals, wheels mounted for rotation on the journals, a lever nonrotatably attached to the shaft, a quadrant attached to the frame, the lever having means for effecting an interlock with the quadrant, a tongue having its rear end pivotally connected with the frame, means comprising a lost motion connection between the front edge of the frame and the tongue for limiting the angular movement of the frame and the tongue, and braces extending from the tongue to the frame.

6. A device in accordance with claim 5 in which the frame is provided at its ends with transverse bars that are longer than the length of the frame and whose front ends are turned inwardly toward the tongue and upwardly.

'7. A device in accordance with claim 5 in which the frame is formed from a central section and two end sections pivotally connected with the center section for tiltable movement about a pivot extending transversely of the frame.

8. A seal coating machine for highways, com-.

prising, in combination, a transversely elongated frame having two spaced bars connected at spaced points by bars, each elongated bar having an edge for contacting a road surface, a rigid tongue pivoted to the frame at a point substantially midway between its ends and midway between the spaced bars, the pivot extending lengthwise of the frame, means for limiting the pivotal movement of the frame and tongue, and means comprising wheels movably attached to the frame, the pivots of the Wheels being to the rear of a longitudinal line containing the center of mass of the frame whereby when the end of the tongue is supported a predetermined distance above the highway surface and the frame raised by bringing the wheels into engagement with the highway surface, the entire frame will first tilt about the pivotal connection with the tongue, whereby the rear end will first be raised after which the entire frame will be raised and supported by the tongue and the wheels after the tongue has moved relative to the frame to one limit of its lost motion connection.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8 in which the tongue is formed from two parts pivotally connected whereby they may be angularly adjusted, and in which means is provided for clamping the two parts of the tongue in adjusted position.

10. A seal coating machine for highways, comprising in combination, two substantially parallel bars, spaced apart and connected at their ends 1 adjusting the angle between the plane of the same for contacting with the upper surface of a formed; from two pivotally connected parts, roadway, guard bars rigidly secured to the ends means for effecting an adjustment of the two. of the first mentioned bars, projecting forwardly parts about their pivotal connection and means of the frame and inclined inwardly, means for forholding the parts in adjusted position.

frame and the highway surface, means for hold- CHARLES S. WAHLSTROM. 5 ing the parts in adjusted position, a tongue THADDEUS A. WHITE. 

